Inciting Incident: "Jin Wang, a fifteen-year-old boy with a big heart and a small mustache, felt that he'd been living a perfectly normal life until one day in homeroom when a new student named Wei-Chen arrived." (Chapter 1)
Why it works:
* Disruption of the status quo: Jin's life is described as "perfectly normal" before Wei-Chen arrives. This sets up the expectation that things will stay the same, but then the new student arrives and immediately disrupts this normalcy.
* Introducing conflict: Wei-Chen is a character shrouded in mystery and has a significant impact on Jin's life. This immediately raises questions and sets up a potential conflict for Jin.
* Setting the story in motion: The arrival of Wei-Chen is the catalyst for the story to begin. It sets in motion the events that will lead to Jin's journey of self-discovery and the exploration of his Chinese heritage.
Other potential inciting incidents:
* The Monkey King's encounter with the Buddha: The Monkey King's journey to become a Buddha is another key storyline in the book. His encounter with the Buddha can be considered an inciting incident as it sets him on a path of transformation and challenges his power.
* Jin's meeting with the "cool kids" at the mall: This encounter introduces the idea of social pressure and the desire to fit in, which are themes explored throughout the novel.
Remember, an inciting incident should be the event that kickstarts the main conflict and propels the story forward. It should also have a significant impact on the protagonist's life.